Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9710161629.A2144-0100000@lan.vita.org> Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 16:58:13 -0400 From: Dania Granados <mailto:granados@LAN.VITA.ORG> Subject: October Issue of DevelopNet News To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
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October 1997 Volume 6, No. 10
IN THIS ISSUE
FOCUS ON COMMUNICATIONS
Assisting Failed or Failing Countries
LITERATURE REVIEWS
Critical Roles for International Assistance
Post-war Humanitarian Assistance Must Change
ORGANIZATIONS
Providing Medical Donations and Training to Health Facilities
VITA PROJECTS
Successful VITASAT Launch Reenergizes VITA's Communications
Program
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Medicinal Plants for Survival
* * *
DevelopNet News is published monthly by Volunteers in
Technical Assistance (VITA) in Arlington, Virginia, USA. For
additional information, please see the end of this newsletter.
* * *
F o c u s o n C o m m u n i c a t i o n s
ASSISTING FAILED OR FAILING COUNTRIES
What was only an occasional past concern in development, has
become a major trend. Assisting failed and failing countries is
now an important part of the U.S., other bilateral, UN, and
multilateral lending and aid agencies' agendas. But, a critical
component of any plan to help a "teetering" or "already-tottered"
country appears to be missing: restoring and/or establishing
communications.
There are so many problems and so many agencies and organizations
involved in failing or failed country situations that restoring
or building a communications network is an important first-step
in the process; the degree of success can be measured by the
level of communications available. A second critical step, once
the communications network is operative, is using it to track and
evaluate the entire process, so that the information can be
accessed by all the participants, and kept for study in future
similar situations.
A quick overview of world conditions easily justifies this new
trend of assisting failed or failing countries, and illustrates
the magnitude of the communications needs.
While Cold War tensions have been reduced around the world, many
countries in the old Soviet bloc, caught by surprise, are fragile
and filled with internal strife. Old "buried" religious and
ethnic rivalries have been revived.
Many other countries, particularly in Africa are near collapse.
Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Somalia,
Liberia, Burundi, Rwanda, Haiti, Sierra Leone, and the Democratic
Republic of Congo (Zaire) have taken an enormous toll in human
lives. Additionally, other countries are struggling to recover
following internal wars.
Because of this new emphasis in development, many international
private and indigenous non-government organizations (NGOs) that
can adapt must now begin to operate within this "new" development
trend as partners. Ironically, non-government organizations have
been forced to deal with providing their services differently, at
the very time that foreign assistance budgets have been reduced.
The new trend must become more than the latest development fad.
Brian Atwood, USAID Administrator points out, "Just as
institutions were created to help manage the global economy and
prevent a repeat of the 1920s and 1930s, precursor to World War
II - just as institutions were created or restructured to contain
the Cold War - so now are we compelled to restructure our
mechanisms and tools to deal with the world as it is today. Our
ability to manage these new challenges and dangers for the
benefit of the American People (including their continued
security) will depend on whether we possess the wisdom that comes
with an understanding of, and appreciation for, these lessons of
history."
How can one learn the "lessons of history" including current
history, without effective communications?
While typical humanitarian and development organization responses
to man-made or natural disasters never were completely discrete,
they were traditionally treated as separate sets of activities,
with separate funding and accountability, and, often, with
competition. In fact, humanitarian and development NGOs have
constant "culture" clashes! Consequently, there is traditionally
little, if any, coordination between such organizations involved
in preventing or mitigating a natural or man-made disaster. If
these organizations now need to work together, communications is
even more essential.
Another problem is the proper "handing off of responsibilities"
between humanitarian and development organizations involved in
the same crisis. There is little building on earlier activities;
each new organization tends to "start anew." This discontinuity
results in confusion, competition, duplication, and unnecessary
expense. Improved communications could solve some of these
problems, and save money as well.
In a failed or failing country, there are many critical
conditions that require almost simultaneous remedy or
improvement. These conditions include: emergency care for
victims, providing water and sanitation, providing public safety,
removing land mines, protecting human rights, and reestablishing
government, law, family life, courts, communications, and
electricity. In addition, there must be food security, housing,
jobs, revival of traditional government units such as health,
education, commerce, transportation and agriculture, and
restoring the physical infrastructure (roads and bridges). Any
one of these tasks presents formidable challenges, but dealing
with them simultaneously makes matters even more difficult.
Among the anticipating or reacting players are: the restored,
interim, and/or new government, the opposition forces,
neighboring and external governments e.g. U.S.) and international
bodies (e.g. UN), international and indigenous NGOs, donors and
lenders, teachers, farmers, businessmen and entrepreneurs, and,
in some situations, the military. So the task load is even more
compounded by the number of players that have to be involved.
While all of this coordination of tasks and players seems so
formidable, there have been several intervention models already
tested by USAID, the UN, and others (e.g. Angola, Nicaragua,
Haiti, El Salvador, and Afghanistan). If enough attention is paid
to these models, one wouldn't have to enter a country at a "start
up" level. Having all this information on a readily available
database would be helpful.
In addition, having available data bases of the international and
indigenous NGOs, volunteers, equipment and supplies providers,
and a roster of expert external resources would help tremendously
in the development and implementation of a strategic plan for a
failing or failed country,
USAID has not been asleep in this regard. There is an Office of
Transition Initiatives (OTI) that was established to jump-start
USAID's involvement in transition situations. In its two-year
history, it has already been involved in a number of "teetering"
or "tottered" countries. However, limited budget and staff permit
it to only make "quick strike" efforts to deal with specific
issues rather than to follow a comprehensive strategic plan that
has been developed by the major participating agencies and
organizations. And communications hasn't yet surfaced as a major
first goal.
Information: Joe Sedlak <mailto:jsedlak@vita.org>
* * *
L i t e r a t u r e R e v i e w s
CRITICAL ROLES FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE
Krishna Kumar, Editor, Rebuilding Societies after Civil War,
Lynne Rienner Publishers, Colorado, USA, 1997.
This small book is very timely. It is loaded with stories,
comments, opinions, and reflections based on field experience and
evaluation.
Part 1 deals with political rehabilitation problems like:
reconciliation elections, protecting human rights, demobilizing
and reintegrating soldiers, building a new civilian police force,
decentralizing "Ethnic Federalism" and reintegrating returning
refugees.
Part 2 deals with social and cultural rehabilitation problems
like rehabilitating the health sector, rebuilding community, and
assisting traumatized children.
Part 3 deals with economic rehabilitation problems, and topics
include land mines and unexploded ordinance, rehabilitating food
production, and moving towards macroeconomic polity and peace
building.
An expert writes each chapter in these sections. However, most of
the authors seem to be "desk" people, rather than actual "field"
people, even though they might have been in the field. It would
be good to hear from the humanitarian and development NGO
personnel directly involved in dealing with issues on a day-to-
day basis.
This is a book that could be expanded to cover many other issues,
and many perspectives. The editor, Krishna Kumar, has done an
outstanding service, and should be encouraged to undertake a more
comprehensive task. This book is a great beginning.
POST-WAR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE MUST CHANGE
Minear, Larry and Weiss, Thomas, Humanitarian Politics. Science
Press, Ephrata, PA, 1995. This is a publication of the Foreign
Policy Association.
This small book starts with the premise that wars today are
different, and, therefore, humanitarian aid following them must
be different. Circumstances following wars, civil or otherwise,
are highly politically charged, and this is a context in which
humanitarian organizations now have to work. They have to become
much more politically "savvy." The authors point out that
"Humanitarianism is coming to be seen as requiring neither the
denial of political realities nor their uncritical embrace." A
new kind of humanitarianism is emerging.
NGO involvement in post-war situations is more important than
ever. However, the relationship between NGOs and a new
"humanitarian" participant, the military, poses new difficulties.
The authors present a number of case studies, and conclude with
some recommendations for U.S. policy.
* * *
O r g a n i z a t i o n s
PROVIDING MEDICAL DONATIONS AND TRAINING TO HEALTH FACILITIES
Direct Relief International, founded in 1945, started out by
sending food and medicine to World War II refugees in Europe.
Now it responds immediately to victims of disasters and civil
strife anywhere in the world. Recent response efforts include
Nepal, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, Romania, Tanzania,
Ukraine, Vietnam, and India. During the second quarter of 1997
Direct Relief coordinated and shipped 40 medical donations with
an estimated value of more than $4.2 million to disaster relief
personnel and charitable health care facilities in 19 countries.
Information: Direct Relief International, 27 South La Patera
Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93117-3251; tel: +1 (805)964-4767; fax:
+1 (905) 681-4838; e-mail: mailto:dri@rain.org
URL: http://www.directrelief.org
* * *
V I T A P r o j e c t s
SUCCESSFUL VITASAT LAUNCH REENERGIZES VITA'S COMMUNICATIONS
PROGRAM
On September 23 VITAsat, a low earth orbiting (LEO) satellite,
was launched successfully from Plesetsk, Russia. Six hours later
it reached its proper orbit, and is now in a several month
process of commissioning and testing. It should be ready for
communications services in early 1998. It is premature for VITA
to issue information about equipment specifications, pricing, and
licensing. This information will be made available soon.
VITA's satellite program "stalled" when it lost its first
operational satellite in 1995. While its payload in UoSat-3
launched in 1990 had been used by many NGOs at 24 stations in 14
countries, VITA had ceased linking ground stations to that
satellite in 1994 because it anticipated using its new satellite,
with easier to use ground terminals and special gateways to the
Internet. VITA was caught in a "bind," phasing out operations
with one satellite and anticipating using a new satellite that
eventually didn't make it into orbit because of a rocket failure.
Now VITA is re-contacting the hundreds of NGOs that had hoped to
use a new satellite in 1995, and expects to build a NGO
communications network that will use the new satellite on a
priority basis. VITAsat is for development and humanitarian
purposes.
VITAsat is a separate payload in FAIsat-2v constructed by Final
Analysis Incorporated of Lanham, Maryland, USA. The payload is
owned by VITA and licensed to VITA by the Federal Communications
Commission. It permits global e-mail connectivity to the Internet
in "real enough" time.
VITA plans to launch its second satellite within the next two
years. The combination of two satellites with at least four
gateways to the Internet increases memory storage capacity by at
least four times. The "normal" capacity for two satellites would
be about 700 pages per pass; multiplied by 4 gateways makes it
possible to transmit about 2,800 pages of data at least 4 times
each day, for a total of more than 11,000 pages a day. That's a
lot of messaging! But, of course, it will take a while to build
up a complete system.
Meanwhile other satellite systems are planned. However, we have
yet to meet one of them interested in developing countries beyond
capital cities.
Information: Joe Sedlak <mailto:jsedlak@vita.org>
* * *
A n n o u n c e m e n t s
MEDICINAL PLANTS FOR SURVIVAL
international conference focusing on medicinal plant
conservation, utilization, trade, and intellectual and cultural
property rights. The conference will be held at India's National
Institute of Advanced Studies and is being hosted by the Indian
Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT.
Expected participants include conservationists, conservation
organizations, researchers & research institutes; health,
environmental and agricultural NGOs; traditional medicine
practitioners and institutions; representatives from Health,
Forestry, and Agriculture Departments of national governments;
and multilateral and bilateral agencies interested in medicinal
plant conservation policy and programs. The conference is
expected to cover a number of areas related to medicinal plant
conservation, utilization, and trade including plant
domestication and cultivation, small enterprise development,
contributions of indigenous knowledge systems, and traditional
knowledge and resource rights. It will include invited and
contributed papers, poster sessions, as well as visits to local
sites of related interest.
Information: Foundation for Revitaliation of Local Health
Traditions (FRLHT) No.50, 2nd Stage, MSH Layout, Anandanagar,
Bangalore-560024, India; tel: +91 (80) 3336909/0348; fax: +91
(80) 3334167; e-mail: mailto:root@frlht.ernet.in
* * *
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* * *
DevelopNet News is an electronic newsletter published monthly by
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VITA specializes in information dissemination and communications
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